CFP National Championship 2024: After Pivotal Rose Bowl Victory, University of Michigan's Digital Staff Documents Program's First CFP Title Appearance

CFP National Championship 2024: After Pivotal Rose Bowl Victory, University of Michigan's Digital Staff Documents Program's First CFP Title Appearance A trio of wins over Ohio State, Iowa, and Alabama sent the team to Houston By Kristian Hern ndez, Senior Editor

Monday, January 8, 2024 - 1:50 pm

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Who's got it better than us? Noooobody!

It's a saying made popular by University of Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, who adopted it from his father, and can be used to describe the program's opportunity to play college football at the highest level as well as win their first national championship in nearly three decades and the first in the College Football Playoff era. The saying could also be attributed to the fans for two reasons: they get to celebrate a trip to the title game in Houston against the University of Washington and they get to enjoy the hard work of the team's social media and digital teams. On a mission to honor one of the most notable brands in collegiate athletics and chronicle the stories of their dynamic players and team, their creative content has resonated with Wolverines fans far and wide.

We have the privilege of capturing, sharing, promoting, and telling their stories, says Joey Johns, Director, Football Social and Digital Communications, University of Michigan. Seeing the response of our fans has been really awesome, and it's been a great ride.

From Preseason to Houston: The Story of the 2023 Michigan Wolverines After a defeat to the TCU Horned Frogs in last year's College Football Playoff Semifinal, the returning players knew they'd have to come back next year with a renewed and reinvigorated purpose. For other players, including two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and star running back Blake Corum, high-quality wide receiver Cornelius Johnson, and defensive captain Mike Sainristil, they could have relinquished their last year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. With unfinished business still left on the table, this trio and others, including Kris Jenkins, Trevor Keegan, Michael Barrett, and Zak Zinter, decided to stay and finish the job. With the return of these impact players, Johns and his team worked with Learfield to develop a seven-episode series entitled Those Who Stay:, a title based on a famous Michigan quote, Those Who Stay Will Be Champions.

The TCU game lit a fire in all of us, he says. We knew from that day forward that there was no expectation other than us going to the National Championship this season. It was Houston or bust.

As the preseason unfolded with a common goal in mind, the digital team charted out their vision for what the program's social media platforms would look like. The team's brainstorming turned into a comprehensive plan of attack that's lasted all season long. Prior to game day during the regular season, the team would meticulously create short-form videos that would not only be shared with the masses, but also get the team ready to go.

Every week, we'd create team motivationals that serve as our pregame hype videos, continues Johns. These would be what the team would see either the day before or the day of the game, so they're geared towards the players before going to social media.

Depending on the opponent or the circumstance in relation to the team's performance, these weekly videos are tailored in different ways. Some weeks, these videos leverage player interviews conducted by the media or speeches from the players and coaches that were said internally in the locker room. For instance, the one used for the Big Ten Championship vs. Iowa leveraged the emotion of Offensive Line coach/Offensive Coordinator Sherrone Moore, Barrett, and Sainristil:

Championship Mindset.#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/AR8e3ePMhN

Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) December 2, 2023

For other high-profile matchups, such as rivalry games or matchups that warranted higher intensity, the video features a narrator that would drive the message home. In 2023, those that lended their voices came from various professions, but all had a connection to the university. These included famous alumni, including NFL Network's Rich Eisen vs. Rutgers in Week 4, members of the coaching staff - including Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach Steve Clinkscale vs. Minnesota in Week 6; Associate Director, Strength and Conditioning, Justin Tress vs. Michigan State in Week 8; and Director, Strength and Conditioning, Ben Herbert vs. No. 9 Penn State in Week 10 - and former players of the program - including Pro Football Hall of Famer and 1997 Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson vs. Ohio State and Detroit Lions defensive end and 2021 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Aidan Hutchinson for the Rose Bowl.

Throughout the week, the staff is putting their extensive archive of footage to use. In partnership with Founders Brewing, In the Vault gives fans a glimpse of poignant moments in history against their 2023 opponents. For example, before their Week 9 victory vs. Purdue, the series flashed back to a rare 5-0 win against the Boilermakers:

#TBT | 1995 Michigan vs Purdue

. A Remy Hamilton FG and Clarence Thompson safety gave us a 5-0 win over Purdue in a game that featured stiff wind, snow, and a windchill of -8.#GoBlue | @foundersbrewing pic.twitter.com/2nBPCTVEVQ

Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) November 2, 2023

After the game, the staff puts together a cinematic recap of the action. With 14 wins and an undefeated record, all of these videos were filled with positivity and major plays. One of the most recent was their recap of their overtime-winner vs. Alabama in Pasadena:

You ll want to watch this multiple times

Game 14 Recap#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/M05li54EPt

Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) January 3, 2024

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LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2024/01/08/cfp-national-championship-2024-...
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